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Morning Headlines
Politico: Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford came away from a visit to Kyiv on Tuesday praising the sophistication of Ukraine’s military, but acknowledging that he couldn’t promise President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Congress would approve long-awaited sanctions against Russia anytime soon.
Ukrainska Pravda: Russian forces attacked the city of Chernihiv on the morning of 26 August, setting a house on fire and killing a 49-year-old woman and a four-year-old girl.
The Kyiv Independent: A fire broke out at Russia’s NORSI oil refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, overnight on Aug. 27 following reports of a drone attack, according to local Telegram channels and footage posted online.
The Kyiv Independent: Ukrainian forces resumed strikes on Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries, following several days of strikes on competitor Ozon, monitoring channels reported Aug. 26 as explosions rocked Tambov Oblast and Ukraine's occupied territories.
ISW: Russia is escalating strikes against Ukrainian-Moldovan border infrastructure in conjunction with its campaign against Ukrainian port and maritime infrastructure.
More News
Reuters: U.S. CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow on Tuesday for meetings with Russian officials, U.S. media outlets reported, citing unnamed sources.
The Kyiv Independent: The U.S. asked Ukraine not to strike Moscow and St. Petersburg while CIA Director John Ratcliffe is visiting Russia, a person familiar with the situation told the Kyiv Independent on Aug. 25.
Ukrainska Pravda: Russian forces hit the city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast with nine FAB-250 guided aerial bombs on the morning of 25 August, injuring at least 24 people, including a two-month-old baby girl.
BBC: Sweden's armed forces have asked the government to expropriate a Russia-owned property near a naval base on security grounds.
Reuters: A Ukrainian man detained in Romania for setting up a stash of guns and ammunition near Berlin is suspected by investigators of being part of a Russian-controlled agent network, Spiegel magazine reported on Tuesday.
LSM: Latvia's government on Tuesday, 25th August added various items to the list of banned imports from aggressor states Russia and Belarus.
Anadolu Agency: A Russian anti-Western disinformation network that used artificial intelligence to spread pro-Kremlin propaganda is linked to an Israel-based think tank, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported Tuesday.
The Kyiv Independent: Ukraine has received approval from the U.K. and France to produce long-range Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a press conference with Estonian President Alar Karis in Kyiv on Aug. 25.
Euronews: France seeks time limits on Ukraine's derogations for non-EU defence purchases under €90bn loan, in push for European — and French — producers. Kyiv benefits from exemptions for Chinese and US parts.
The Moscow Times: Russia is increasingly recruiting women for the war against Ukraine amid signs that its pool of potential male recruits is shrinking, according to an investigation by news outlet Vot Tak.
Meduza: Only 22% of Russian gas stations had AI-95 gasoline in stock as of August 24, Infotek reported, citing data from the Benzonavt service.
The Kyiv Independent: Ukrainian strikes on Millerovo airbase in Russia's Rostov Oblast damaged a Mig-29 fighter jet on Aug. 24, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed on Aug. 25.
Ukrainska Pravda: Ukraine's defence forces struck Russian electronic warfare systems in occupied Luhansk and in the village of Myrnyi in Crimea on 24 August and on the night of 24-25 August, as well as fuel, ammunition and logistics depots in Berdiansk and Prymorsk in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Reuters: Six Chinese nationals were killed and nine more are missing after a fire broke out at a gas chemical complex in Russia's far eastern Amur region, the plant said on Wednesday. A total of seven people died and 152 people were treated for injuries.
The Kyiv Independent: Armenian law enforcement services detained the country's former president and leader of a pro-Russian opposition alliance, Robert Kocharyan, as part of an anti-corruption investigation, the media reported on Aug. 25, citing authorities.
United24 Media: French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the Coalition of the Willing will hold large-scale joint military exercises in October and November 2026, as participating countries work to prepare security guarantees for Ukraine after the war.
The Kyiv Independent: The U.S. did not join an Aug. 24 appeal by over 50 U.N. members urging Russia to halt its aggression against Ukraine and cease strikes against civilians.
worth mentioning
State-backed hackers targeted EU officials on WhatsApp, document shows
Slovak police thwart planned arson attack on drone factory
Ukraine needs changes to avoid losing war, ousted defence minister says
St. Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena cancels Ye concerts
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